Method and apparatus for handling articles



Jan. 24, 1967 J. H. HOLMES METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING ARTICLES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 29. 1963 M BM-Hi s w ML o H m m0 A J ATTORNEY Jan. 24, 1967 J. H. HOLMES METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING ARTICLES Filed Aug. 29, 1963 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Am Q@ g j H mm.

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INVENTOR .mcx H. HOLMES BY W ATTORNEY wmt r@ o m Jan. 4, 1967 J. H. HOLMES METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING ARTICLES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 29, 1963 mvemon JACK H. HOLMES i BY kyw w ATTORNEY Jan. 24, 1967 J. H. HOLMES METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING ARTICLES Filed Aug. 29, 1963 INVENTOR JACK H. HOLMES BY $4M 9 /W- 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEY Filed Aug. 29, 1963, Ser. No. 305,289 15 Claims. (Cl. 19833) This invention relates to an article manipulating apparatus and method, and more particularly to an apparatus and method adapted to effect the arranging of randomly. grouped articles in a single file, orienting the articles in a predetermined manner, and maintaining such orientation while the articles are being transferred between adjacent processing stations.

The present invention has general utility in the manipulation of articles of produce such as potatoes, avocadoes, apples, pears, and the like, which are generally ellipsoidal and thus have a major central axis. However, for purposes of description only, this invention will be described in connection with the manipulation of potatoes.

Processing of produce of the type referred to on a commercial scaled requires rapid sorting into classes based on size, weight, and, in the case of apples, for example, on color. In fulfilling the desire of the public, especially restaurants and the food preparation industry, this invention provides an apparatus that is operative to preliminarily orient the potatoes before they are weighed. Although the Weighing apparatus utilized with this invention forms no part thereof, it will be understood that a weighing apparatus that can be used in connection with this invention is disclosed in the patent to P. Van Wyck No. 2,252,909, issued Aug. 19, 1941, and in the patent to Charles E. Sheetz No. 3,092,196 entitled Adjustable Spring Balanced Scale, each of which is assigned to the assignee of this invention.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved article manipulating apparatus and method.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved apparatus for forming longitudinal files of produce that is received in random.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved apparatus that forms a line file of articles by rejecting all but one, rejects a part of the produce of a group of articles that assume laterally adjacent positions, and provides for recirculation of the rejected articles so that it may assume a single file position after recirculation.

Another object of this invention is to provide an orienting apparatus that positions the produce in a predetermined attitude.

Another object of this invention is to provide an orienting apparatus that tumbles the product to assume a desired orientation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved apparatus that maintains the predetermined orientation of the product while it is being transferred between adjacent processing stations.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved apparatus that arranges randomly received potatoes in single files with the major axis thereof substantially parallel to their direction of movement, discharging the so aligned potatoes onto an apparatus which orients the major axis of each potato transversely to their direction of movement, and discharging the potatoes while their major axes are transversely aligned with the direction of movement to a weight sizing apparatus.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel method of orienting and transferring products between adjacent processing stations.

The manner in which these, and other objects of the ited States Patent "ice invention can be accomplished will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic plan of the apparatus constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the apparatus of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged plan of a portion of FIG- URE 1, showing one of the laning belts and an adjustable shunt associated therewith.

FIGURE 4 is a partial diagrammatic perspective illustrating the apparatus which effects tumbling of the article to orient the major axis transverse to its direction of move ment.

FIGURE 4A is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on line 4A-4A of FIG. 4.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged diagrammatic section of FIGURE 1 taken along the line 55 and illustrating the manner in which an article is transferred between adjacent processing stations.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged plan of a portion of FIG. 1 showing the potatoes being arranged in single file and being transferred to the orienting apparatus.

FIGURE 6A is an enlarged vertical section taken along line 6A-6A of FIG. 6.

FIGURE 7 is a vertical section taken along line 77 of FIG. 6.

FIGURE 8 is a diagrammatic perspective showing the drive for the associated flight and belt conveyors.

The potato manipulating and orienting machine of the present invention comprises longitudinally aligned proc essing devices which, are, respectively; a spreader belt unit A, a surge and laning belt system B, an orienting and timing unit C, a transfer device D, and a cup feed unit E, only a part of which is shown. The spreader belt A receives the potatoes to be segregated in random at the left hand end, as viewed in FIGURE 1. Inwardly inclined baflles 9 and 9A guide the potatoes toward the center of the belt, and the potatoes are then conveyed past a triangular shunt 10 and past two straight shunts 12 which cause lateral separation oft he potatoes to form the potatoes into preliminary longitudinal files before they are discharged onto the surge and laning system B- Laterally spaced, longitudinally coextensive conveyor belts 14 and a shunt 16 associated with each belt 14 transfer the potatoes to longitudinally aligned lanes of the orienting unit C. The surge and langing belt system B orients the potatoes so that the major axes thereof are in the direction of movement, and the potatoes received by the orienting unit C are tumbled as they are moved toward the transfer device D so that the major axis is oriented transversely to their direction of movement. As the potatoes reach the discharge end of the unit C, a portion of the projecting surface of each potato is engaged by under-inflated rubber tubes at the transfer station D, and, in conjunction with the force of gravity, the tubes transfer the potatoes in their oriented condition to the cup feed unit E.

The unit A, the laning system B, the unit C, and the transfer device D are supported on rigid frame structures 18, 18A, 18B, and 18C respectively. The potato-receiving end of the cup feed unit E is also mounted on frame 18C.

The spreader belt unit A comprises a conveyor frame 20 (FIG. 2) in which an endless belt conveying member 22 is mounted, said belt having an upper run movable in the direction of the arrow M so that products deposited on the left hand end of the belt 22, as viewed in FIGURE 1, are moved toward the surge and laning belt system B. The belt 22 is trained over a guide pulley carried on a shaft 23 and over a drive pulley 24 (FIG. 7) keyed to a drive shaft 25, both shafts being journalled for rotation in the conveyor frame 20. A plurality of laterally extending parallel support bars 27 have the opposite ends thereof secured to side rails 26 which form part of the conveyor frame 20. The triangular shunt and the straight shunts 12 are rigidly secured to the lower surface of the support bars 27 and extend downwardly so that their lower edges are closely adjacent the upper surface of the conveyor belt 22. It will be noted that the shunts 10 and 12 are so related that the shunt 10 causes preliminary lateral separation of the potatoes into two preliminary files and each of the preliminary files are again seperated into two files by the shunts 12. Each of the resulting four files of potatoes is discharged by the conveyor belt 22 onto one of the transversely spaced conveyor belts 14 of the surge and laning system B.

Each of the conveyor belts 14 is trained over a drive pulley 28a (FIG. 7) that is keyed to a shaft 28 and over an idler pulley 29 carried on a shaft 30. The shafts 28 and 30 are journalled in bearings carried on two spaced side plates 31 and 32 (FIG. 1) that are mounted in fixed position at the upper end of four rigid support posts 33 of the frame 18A. 'Ilhe articles are guided onto the inlet end of each conveyor belt 14 by a pair of converging plates 35 that are secured to a transverse guide plate 36 which may be conventiently supported by an angle bar 37 (FIG. 7) extending between the side plates 31 and 32.

A rod 43 (FIGS. 6, 6A and 7) which is supported on two transverse frame members 44 and 44A, is disposed under one side edge portion of each belt 14 so that the belt is inclined in a direction such that potatoes are urged downwardly toward the adjacent shunt 16. As a result, a line of potatoes will form along the shunt. When a belt that is 6 inches wide is used, a rod which is inch in diameter will hold the belt at a suitable inclination.

Upwardly extending transversely aligned spacer blocks 38 (FIG. 2) are rigidly secured in longitudinally spaced relation on the upper surface of the side plates 31 and 32. Transversely extending bars 39, 40, 41 and 42 are secured to the upper end of the blocks 38, the bars 39 and 40 being provided for adjustably mounting the shunt 16 associated with each of the conveyors 14. As shown in FIG. 3, each of the shunts 16 has outwardly extending tabs 46 and 48 underlying and adjacent the lower surface of the transverse bars 39 and 40, respectively. The tab 46 is pivotally connected to the bar 39 by pin 50 and the tab 48 is releasably secured to the bar 40 by a bolt 52 which is disposed through an arcuate clearance slot 54 formed through the bar 40. By this arrangement each of the shunts 16 is pivotally movable about the pins 50 and can be fixed in a plurality of positions relative to the associated conveyor 14. When the bolt 52 is loosened, the shunt 16 is free to move a limited amount about the pin 50, and its adjusted position, relative to the marginal edge 56 of the conveyor 14, as viewed in FIG. 3, can be varied.

The conveyors 14 and 22 are driven by a motor 102 (FIG. 2) having sprockets 104 and 106 (FIG. 1) secured to the output shaft 102A. Roller chains 108 and 110 are trained about sprockets 112 and 114 secured to the drive shafts 25 and 28 of the conveyor 22 and the conveyor 14 respectively. By this construction energization of the motor 102 effects simultaneous orbital movement of the conveyor belt 22 and the conveyor belts 14 in the directions indicated by the arrows M and N respectively.

The acute angles defined by the shunts 16 and the marginal edges 56 form a converging passageway for the potatoes as they are conveyed toward the unit C. The potatoes are therefore moved by the shunts 16 toward the marginal edge 56 before being discharge onto the unit C. It is to be appreciated that such an angular relationship is effective to orient the potatoes with their major axes substantially in the direction of movement and to permit the passage of only one potato at a time past the throat of the converging passageway by pushing excess In potatoes over the edge 56 where they fall through a space 60, defined between adjacent conveyor belts 14, onto a lower transversely positioned conveyor 62. By increasing or decreasing the distance of the terminal end of the shunts from the marginal edges 56 preliminary sizing of the potatoes is effected.

The conveyor 62, an elevating conveyor 64, and a conveyor 66 form the means that return the potatoes, discharged through the openings 60, to the inlet of the conveyor 22 so that the rejected potatoes are again passed through the shunts for orientation in single files. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the conveyor 62 is located below the conveyors 14 and includes an endless belt 63 mounted for orbital movement transverse to the direction of movement of the conveyors 14. At one end the belt is trained over a guide roller 65 (FIG. 7) that is carried by a shaft 67. At its other end the belt is disposed around a pulley keyed to a drive shaft 68 (FIG. 2), the shafts 67 and 68 being mounted in structures supported from the frame 18A. A conventional motor 69 has a sprocket 70 secured to the output shaft thereof. A sprocket 74 which is keyed to drive shaft 68 is positioned coplanar with the sprocket 70 so that a conventional sprocket chain 76 may be trained about the sprockets and thus constitute a driving connection between the motor and the drive shaft 68 of the conveyor 62.

The potatoes conveyed by the conveyor 62 encounter an angularly disposed shunt 78 (FIG. 1) which is effective to directthe potatoes to the inlet of the elevating conveyor 64. The conveyor 64 includes an endless belt 79 having transverse and longitudinally spaced rows of rubber pegs or cleats 80 secured thereto which form abutments that are effective to elevate the potatoes for discharge to the conveyor 66. The belt 79 is trained over a guide pulley on a shaft 31 and over a pulley keyed to a drive shaft 82. Transition chutes 83 and 84, located at the inlet and the discharge, respectively, of the elevating conveyor 64 are provided for directing the potatoes being recirculated onto the conveyor 64 and from the conveyor 64 to the conveyor 66. A conventional drive 86, including a sprocket 88 driven by a motor 89, a sprocket 90 keyed to the drive shaft 82 and a chain 92, is provided for orbiting the belt of the conveyor 64. The products discharged by the conveyor 64 slide down the plate 84 onto the conveyor 66 and are conveyed in the direction of the arrow 0 (FIG. 1) onto the conveyor 22. The conveyor 66 includes an end less belt 93 that is driven by a motor 94 through a drive mechanism including sprockets 96 and 98 and a chain 100 trained about the sprockets. Thus the conveyors 62, 64 and are associated to effect recirculation of the produce rejected by the shunts 16.

An inverted V-shaped baffle (FIGS. 1 and 6) is supported by the overhead bar 42 alongside the discharge end of each conveyor belt 14. The slanted sides of these baflles guide potatoes that pass the shunts 16, back toward the centerline of the belts 14.

The potatoes that are oriented by the shunts 16 are discharged to the orienting and timing unit C where they fall onto a moving belt 130 between rollers or rods 132 (FIG.

7) of a flight conveyor, said rollers being translated in the direction of arrow P While they are rotated clockwise to cause the potatoes to be re-oriented with their major axes transverse to the direction of arrow P. The unit C comprises two spaced side rails 122, secured to the supporting frame 18B, and three transversely spaced, longitudinally extending partitions 124 which overlie the moving rods 132 and define lanes 126, each of which is in longitudinal alignment with one of the conveyor belts 14. The partitions 124 are supported from an overhead structure that includes two bars 125 (FIGS. 6 and 7, one only being shown) that extend transversely of the par titions between the upper ends of fixed posts 127 of the frame 183. Each partition is supported from each of the two bars 125 by a rigid rod 128 that depends from the bar.

The belt 130 moves at about twice the speed of the belt 22 and is trained over a guide pulley 135 (FIG. 7) that is carried on a shaft 136 and over a drive pulley 140 (FIG. 8) that is keyed to a drive shaft 141. The rods 132 (FIGS. 4 and 7) are connected to form an endless article tumbline member 139 by means of two chains 142 (one only being shown). The rods 132 are spaced on about 3% centers, and each rod is tubular and has a bushing 143 (FIG. 4A) secured in each end, each bushing 143 being arranged to rotate on a pin 144 projecting from a link of the adjacent chain 142. A sprocket 146 is welded on each end of each tubular rod 132, and each sprocket 146 engages a rack in the form of a chain section 148 that is secured in fixed position on a ledge 150 projecting inwardly from each side rail 122. Accordingly, as the upper run of the article tumbling member 139 moves forwardly in the direction of arrow P, the rollers 132 are rotated clockwise.

To carry the rollers 132 in an endless path each of the two chains 142 is trained around an idler sprocket (not shown) on shaft 136 (FIG. 7) and over one toothed sprocket element 155 (FIG. 8) of a double sprocket that is freely rotatable on the pulley drive shaft 141 and includes a second sprocket element 156. The double sprocket is driven by two chains 160 and 161, each of which is trained over one of the sprocket elements 156 and over a sprocket 162 that is keyed to a jackshaft 164. The jackshaft 164 is, in turn, driven from a main power shaft 166 by a sprocket and chain drive 167. It should be noted at this time that the drive shaft 141 of the conveyor belt 130 is also driven from the main power shaft 166 through a sprocket and chain drive 169. Accordingly, the endless belt 130 and the endless article tumbling member 139 are driven in timed relation. However, due to the size of the various sprocket and chain drives, upper run of the belt 130 moves approximately 25% faster than the upper run of the tumbling member 139. Therefore, the potatoes that are discharged from the conveyors 14 between the rods 132 are, ideally, continuously tumbled or rotated by the belt conveyor 130. In addition to the tumbling or rotation of the potatoes imparted by the belt 130, the clockwise rotation of the rods 132 assist in tumbling the potatoes to orient each of the potatoes with the major axis thereof located transverse or normal to the direction in which they are being conveyed.

The main power shaft 166 is driven by the drive mechanism of the cup feed unit E so that a cup will be positioned to receive each potato. The cup feed unit E may be similar to that disclosed in the patents to Sheetz No. 3,017,013 and No. 3,092,196. In general, the cup feed unit comprises a plurality of transverse rows of cups 170, the cups of each row being pivotally supported on a transverse rod 171 that'is carried between two endless chains 172 and 173. The chains are trained around suitable idler and drive sprockets and are driven by a motor (not shown) in the direction indicated by arrow S in FIG. 5. As indicated in FIG. 2, the chains 172 and 173 of the cup feed unit are trained over sprockets that are keyed to the main power shaft 166 to drive the shaft and the conveyors associated therewith in timed relation with the cup feed unit.

Referring now to FIGURES 1, 2, and 5 the portion of the cup feed unit E adjacent the discharge end of the orienting and timing unit C is located, shown particularly in FIGURE 5, longitudinally adjacent and downwardly spaced from the time and turn unit C. At this zone there is provided means, elastically deformable by the upper projecting surface of each of the potatoes, that maintains the orientation of the potatoes as they are being gravitationally discharged from the unit C to the cup feed unit E. This means comprises a transversely extending shaft 180 driven in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE 2, and in timed relation with the time and turn unit C and the cup feed unit E by a conventional sprocket chain transmission 186 that is connected to the main power shaft 166. Under-inflated rubber tubes 188 are fixed in regularly spaced intervals on the shaft 180 so that each of the tubes 188 is in longitudinal alignment with each of the lanes 126 and each row of cups 170. As each potato reaches the discharge end of the unit C, a major portion of the upper projecting surface of the potato is intimately engaged by the readily deformable tubes 188, as shown in FIGURE 5, so that, during gravitational movement of the potato toward the cups 170 of the cup feed unit E the orientation effected by the orienting unit C is maintained.

It is to be appreciated that the tubes 188 need not be inflatable members but may be made from foam rubber, for example, the important requirement being that an easily deformable member which engages the projecting surface of the potato at any point on its periphery is provided. After the potatoes are transferred to the cup feed unit further classification thereof, in accordance with their weight, is effected by apparatus shown and described in the above referenced patent and application.

In operation the potatoes are deposited in random fashion on the conveyor 22 upstream from the shunts 10 and 12 and passage thereof past the shunts causes, respectively, the potatoes to define two and four interim or preliminary files of potatoes. The potatoes are discharged from the conveyor 22 to the guide plates where they are directed onto each of the conveyors 14 for continued longitudinal movement, from left to right, as viewed in FIGURE 1. Since the interim or preliminary file of potatoes received by the conveyors 14 may include laterally adjacent potatoes and potatoes oriented with their major axes extending substantially at an angle relative to the direction of movement, the shunts 16 arrange the potatoes so that the major axes thereof are substantially in line with their direction of movement and cause certain ones of the potatoes that are in lateral adjacency to be forced over the side edge 56 of each of the conveyors 14 whereby they fall through the spaces 60 onto the upper reach of the conveyor 62. The potatoes received by the conveyor 62 are conveyed transversely and, by means of the shunt 78, are urged onto the elevating conveyor 64 which discharges the potatoes onto the conveyor 66 which in turn delivers the potatoes to the upstream end of the conveyor 22 for reprocessing. The above described functions of the shunt 16 is diagrammatically shown in FIG- URES 6 and 7. The potatoes that pass the terminal ends 17 of the shunts 16 are oriented with their major axes lying substantially in the direction of their movement and are discharged between the bars 132 of the time and turn unit as shown in FIGURE 7. Location of the potatoes between the bars 132 and on the belt conveyor causes, due to the faster orbital speed of the belt 130 and clockwise rotation of the rod 132, re-orientation of the major axis of each potato so that the major axis of the potatoes is disposed transverse to the direction in which they are being conveyed. At the discharge end of the time and turn unit C, as shown in FIGURES, a major portion of the upper projecting surface of each potato intimately engages and deforms the under inflated tubes 148 which are operative to maintain the orientation of each potato as it is being gravitationally discharged to the cups 170.

As a result of this invention a new and improved article manipulating apparatus and method is provided which is operative to arrange selective products in single file relation and in a predetermined orientation in order to accomplish weight sizing of the products.

While there is in this application specifically described one form which the invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this form is shown for purposes of description, and that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for arranging generally ellipsoidal articles comprising means for conveying and arranging the articles in longitudinal files, longitudinally coextensive transversely spaced conveyors each of which is in longitudinal alignment with each of the files, means for operating said last mentioned conveyors at a higher Speed than said first mentioned conveying means to increase the longitudinal distance between the articles, means extending partially diagonally across the upper run of each conveyor for orienting the major axis of each article to lie substantially in the direction of movement and for discarding certain of the articles over the edge of each conveyor to thereby form files of single longitudinally spaced articles oriented in the mentioned manner.

2. An apparatus for arranging and sorting generally ellipsoidal articles comprising means for conveying and arranging the articles in longitudinal files, means-for increasing the longitudinal spacing between the articles and for orienting the major axes thereof transverse to their direction of movement, said conveying means having a discharge portion arranged to permit the articles to separate by gravity from said conveying means, means positioned for receiving the articles which are gravitationally moved away from said conveying means, and means adjacent the discharge portion of said conveying means engageable with the upper projecting surface of the articles for maintaining said transverse orientation of the major axes thereof while the articles are being gravitationally transferred to said receiving means.

3. An article orienting apparatus comprising a belt conveyor, a flight conveyor encircling said belt conveyor, said flight conveyor being in the form of transversely extending longitudinally spaced rods having the opposite ends thereof rotatably mounted between simultaneously orbiting chains, stationary racks located adjacent the opposite end of said rods, gear means secured to each end of said rods and in meshing engagement with said racks, said racks and said gear means being operative to rotate said rods in a direction such that the upper article-contacting surfaces of the rods are arranged to move in the direction of movement of the upper run of said chains during orbital movement of said flight conveyor.

4. An article handling apparatus comprising means for receiving generally ellipsoidal randomly arranged articles and conveying them in a predetermined direction, means downstream from said receiving means for arranging the produce in preliminary longitudinal rows, conveying means for receiving the preliminarily arranged articles and for increasing the longitudinal distance therebetween, means associated with said last mentioned means for arranging a portion of the articles in single files, for orienting the articles with the major axes thereof aligned with the direction of movement and for rejecting the remaining unifiled articles, and means for returning the rejected articles to the receiving means.

5. A potato handling apparatus comprising means for receiving and conveying randomly arranged potatoes in a predetermined direction, cooperable shunts in the path of movement of the potatoes for forming spaced rows of potatoes, and for dividing said spaced rows into second rows of potatoes, laterally spaced conveyors in longitudinal alignment with the second rows for increasing the longitudinal spacing of the potatoes, means including shunts disposed diagonally across said conveyors and terminating inwardly from a longitudinal marginal edge of each conveyor a distance sufficient to allow passage of one potato at a time for orienting the potatoes with the major axes thereof lying substantially in the direction of movement and for arranging the potatoes in single file.

6. An apparatus for arranging produce, such as potatoes or the like that are generally ellipsoidal in shape, in single files and for orienting the produce to align the major axes thereof in the direction of movement comprising a conveyor for each of the files operative to receive and convey interim files of the produce wherein each of such file may include laterally adjacent groupings of the produce, a diagonally disposed shunt overlying the upper run of each of said conveyors and located in the path of the produce for slidably engaging and laterally moving the produce during conveyance thereof to the discharge end of said conveyor, said shunts being selectively adjustable toward and away from a longitudinal margin of said conveyor to thereby define a gradually converging path for the produce, wherein engagement of the produce with said shunts effects the mentioned orientation of the major axes of the produce in a desired manner and the interim files are arranged in single file by forcing all but one of the laterally adjacent produce over the marginal edge of said conveyors.

7. An article handling apparatus comprising a first conveyor for receiving randomly arranged articles and conveying them in a predetermined direction, a triangular shunt adjacent the upper run of said first conveyor, rectilinear shunts downstream of said triangular shunt, said shunts being operative to form two and four preliminary files of articles respectively, a plurality of transversely spaced second conveyors in longitudinal alignment with the four preliminary files for receiving and conveying the articles in the predetermined direction, said second conveyors being orbited at a higher speed than said first conveyor to increase the longitudinal spacing of the articles, and other shunts associated with each of said second conveyors and positioned to define, relative to respective marginal edges of each of said second conveyors, a converging passageway for each of the preliminary files wherein the distance between the end of said other shunts and the marginal edge allows a single article at a time to pass to the discharge of said second conveyors.

8. A potato orienting apparatus comprising a support, an endless belt conveyor and a flight conveyor encircling said belt conveyor, said conveyors being mounted for simultaneous orbital movement on said support, said flight conveyor having the flights thereof rotated during orbital movement thereof in a direction the same as the direction of orbital movement of said flight conveyor on said support, means for discharging potatoes between the flights with the major axes of the potatoes located substantially transverse to the axes of the flights, said belt conveyor providing a supporting surface for the potatoes located between the flights, and means for orbiting said belt conveyor at a faster speed than said flight conveyor to effect, in conjunction with the rotating flights, turning of the potato to orient its major axis generally parallel to the axes of the flights.

9. An apparatus for receiving randomly arranged, generally ellipsoidal articles and orienting them in a predetermined manner comprising, a first processing station for receiving the articles in random arrangement and conveying them in a predetermined direction, said first station having means operable during movement of the articles in the predetermined direction for causing lateral separation of the articles to form interim longitudinal rows with indeterminate ones of said articles lying in transverse adjacency and having the major axes thereof pointing in different directions, a second processing station having conveying means orbiting at a higher speed than said conveyor of said first processing station, and in longitudinal alignment with the interim longitudinal rows for increasing the longitudinal spacing between the articles and for conveying the articles in the predetermined direction, means at said second processing station extending diagonally across the upper reach of said last mentioned conveying means and in the path of the articles being conveyed for orienting'the major axes of the articles substantially in the predetermined direction and for forcing at least one of the articles that are in transverse adjacency over the marginal edge of said last mentioned conveying means to thereby permit but a single article at a time to be conveyed in the predetermined direction, a

transverse conveyor located below said second mentioned conveying means for, in part, returning the articles forced over the marginal edge of said second mentioned conveying to said first processing station, a third processing station located in longitudinal alignment with said first and second processing station in order to receive the articles discharged from said second processing station, said third processing station having means thereon for simultaneously conveying and tubling the articles to orient the major axes thereof generally normal to the predetermined direction, and means at the discharge end of said third processing station deformable by the projecting surface of the articles to maintain the last mentioned orientation thereof while being transferred to a fourth processing station.

10. An apparatus for receiving randomly arranged generally ellipsoidal articles and orienting them in a predetermined manner comprising a first processing station having means for receiving the articles in random arrangement and conveying them in a predetermined direction, said first station having means operable during movement of the articles in the predetermined direction for causing lateral separation of the articles to form interim longitudinal rows with indeterminate one of said articles lying in transverse adjacency and having the major axes thereof pointing in different directions, a second processing station having conveying means, orbiting at a higher speed than said conveying means of said first processing station, and in longitudinal alignment with the interim longitudinal rows for increasing the longitudinal spacing between the articles and for conveying the articles in the predetermined direction, means at said second processing station extending diagonally across the upper reach of said last mentioned conveying means and in the path of the articles being conveyed for orienting the major axes of the articles substantially in the predetermined direction and for forcing at least one of the articles that are in transverse adjacency over the marginal edge of said last mentioned conveying means to thereby permit but a single article at a time to be conveyed in the predetermined direction, a transverse conveyor located below said second mentioned conveying means for partially returning the articles forced over the marginal edge of said conveying means of said second processing station to said first processing station, a third processing station located in longitudinal alignment with said first and second processing stations in order to receive the articles discharged from said second processing station, said third processing station having means thereon for simultaneously conveying and turnbling the articles to orient the major axis thereof generally normal to the predetermined direction, and elastically deformable under-inflated toroidal tubes at the discharge of said third processing station engageable with and deformed by the articles for maintaining the last mentioned orientation while the articles are being transferred to a fourth processing station.

11. An apparatus for receiving randomly arranged generally ellipsoidal articles and orienting them in a predetermined manner comprising a first processing station for receiving the articles in random arrangement and conveying them in a predetermined direction, said first station having means for causing lateral separation of the articles to form interim longitudinal rows with indeterminate ones of said article lying in transverse adjacency and having the major axis thereof pointing in different directions, a second processing station having conveying means, orbiting at a higher speed than said conveyor at said first processing station, and in longitudinal alignment with the interim longitudinal rows for increasing the longitudinal spacing between the articles and for con veying the articles in the predetermined direction, means at said second processing station extending diagonally across the upper reach of said last mentioned conveying means and in the path of the articles being conveyed for orienting the major axes of the articles substantially in the predetermined direction and for forcing at least one of the articles that are in transverse adjacency over the marginal edge of said last mentioned conveying means to thereby permit but a single article at a time to be conveyed in the predetermined direction, a transverse conveyor located below said second mentioned conveying means for, in part, returning the articles forced over the marginal edge of said second mentioned conveying to said first processing station, a third processing station for receiving the articles discharged from said second processing station, said third processing station having an orbitable belt conveyor and an outwardly spaced flight conveyor defining similar smaller and larger orbits respectively, means for driving said belt and said flight conveyor simultaneously, and a driving connection at the opposite ends of each flight for rotating said flights during orbital movement thereof, said belt conveyor having a higher orbital speed than said flight conveyor so that the articles deposited between said flights and on said belt are rotated to orient the major axes thereof normal to the first orientation thereof.

12. A method of aligning selected ellipsoidal products in single files and for orienting them in a predetermined manner comprising the steps of segregating randomly arranged products in interim transversely spaced files while they are being conveyed in a predetermined rectilinear direction, simultaneously orienting the major axes of the products in alignment with the predetermined direction and increasing the longitudinal spacing between the products, and rotating the product while being moved in the predetermined direction to orient the major axes normal to said first mentioned orientation.

13. A method of aligning selected ellipsoidal products in single files and for orienting them in a predetermined manner comprising the steps of segregating randomly arranged products in interim transversely spaced files while they are being conveyed in a predetermined rectilinear direction, orienting the major axes of the products in alignment with the predetermined direction and increasing the longitudinal spacing between the products, rotating the products While being moved in the predetermined direction to orient the major axes normal to said first mentioned orientation, and contacting a portion of the outer surface of the product while it is moving to maintain orientation thereof during transfer to a weighing station.

14. A method of aligning articles in single files and for orienting them in a predetermined manner comprising the steps of segregating randomly arranged articles in interim transversely spaced files while they are being conveyed in a predetermined rectilinear path, orienting the major axes of the articles in alignment with the predetermined direction and increasing the longitudinal spacing therebetween, applying tangential forces to the periphery of the articles while being translated in the rectilinear path to cause simultaneous rotation of the articles and to orient the major axes thereof normal to the rectilinear path, and contacting a portion of the outer surface of the articles while moving with a rotating resiliently deformable device to maintain the last mentioned orientation thereof during transfer to a weighing station.

15. An apparatus for arranging articles, like potatoes in single files and for orienting the major axes thereof in a predetermined direction comprising a conveyor for moving the articles along a path, a shunt, initiating from one lateral margin of said conveyor diagonally across toward the other lateral margin, said shunt terminating at a selected distance from said other lateral margin to define a passageway allowing one article at a time to pass to the discharge of said conveyor, and means spaced laterally inwardly from said other margin and below the upper reach of said conveyor for elevating said other margin in order to retain the arranged articles on the upper reach of said conveyor.

(References on following page) References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Mortimer 19825 Smitt 198-25 Rideout 19833 Fairchild.

Buck 19830 Kraus 198-30 Jordan 198-40 Fox 198-33 Arlin 198-33 Bradford 19833 Schlichting 198167 Niederer 19833 Willsey 198--33 EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner.

E. A. SROKA, SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Examiners. 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR ARRANGING GENERALLY ELLIPSOIDAL ARTICLES COMPRISING MEANS FOR CONVEYING AND ARRANGING THE ARTICLES IN LONGITUDINAL FILES, LONGITUDINALLY COEXTENSIVE TRANSVERSELY SPACED CONVEYORS EACH OF WHICH IS IN LONGITUDINAL ALIGNMENT WITH EACH OF THE FILES, MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID LAST MENTIONED CONVEYING MEANS TO INCREASE THE SAID FIRST MENTIONED CONVEYING MEANS TO INCREASE THE LONGITUDINAL DISTANCE BETWEEN THE ARTICLES, MEANS EXTENDING PARTIALLY DIAGONALLY ACROSS THE UPPER RUN OF EACH CONVEYOR FOR ORIENTING THE MAJOR AXIS OF EACH ARTICLE TO LIE SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT AND FOR DISCARDING CERTAIN OF THE ARTICLES OVER THE EDGE OF EACH CONVEYOR TO THEREBY FORM FILES OF SINGLE LONGITUDINALLY SPACED ARTICLES ORIENTED IN THE MENTIONED MANNER. 